Americans for Immigration Reform held a meeting in Oklahoma City to combat the Oklahoma law cracking down on illegal immigration. 30 representatives from such upstanding, stalwart industries - who could give a crap about legal workers or legal clients - included construction, agriculture, health care, travel, education and finance.

Americans for Immigration Reform is seeking $52 million dollars from the industries to combat what it sees as a blackening of the illegal aliens' good name. They say illegal aliens are no longer being seen as hard workers, but as drunk driving rapists.

The goal is to build a coalition and begin raising some of the $52 million AIR will need to execute its campaign to counter what it deems "poisonous” rhetoric by the anti-illegal immigration movement.

"They have some people believing that all illegal immigrants are rapists, that all illegal immigrants are drunk drivers,” said Stan Merrick, a Houston-based home builder. "In my industry, we employ immigrants — both legal and undocumented people. What we have found is they are natural artisans, and they are good, hard-working people.”

Natural artisans... *dumbfounded*

Look, this slimeball could give a crap about their "artisanship". He wants to benefit monetarily on the backs of underpaid and exploited illegal labor. I haven't heard such a load of cow dung in quite some time, but they never seem to come up with ever greater BS to cover their greedy trails.

Let's see what another slimy dirtbag has to say about illegal alien labor.

Gene McKown of Ideal Homes, which is the state's largest home builder, said the issue could single-handedly cripple the economy.

"Housing is going to get so expensive. People won't be able to afford it if they send all the illegals back,” McKown said. "In framing, in drywall, in concrete work, there's nothing but illegal immigrants. I'm having my own home built and even there, there's hardly anyone but Hispanics doing the work. I just don't think there's other skilled labor available.”

You know why Gene McKown doesn't think there's legal skilled labor out there? Because he hasn't looked! Because he doesn't care. All he wants to do is pay a low wage and be able to exploit workers. These homebuilders are really slimeballs of the highest order.

"don't think" indeed!

There is hope though and it comes in the form of some brave OK politicians.

In response, state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, said AIR's campaign is a transparent attempt by big business to maintain its pool of "cheap, illegal slave labor.”

"They are trying to figure out a way to preserve their access to that pool of cheap, illegal alien slave labor. They are trying to figure out a way of doing that through a massive PR campaign,” Terrill said. "This clearly is not in the best interest of American workers. The solution for these businesses is simple: Hire American citizens at market rate instead of trying to convince the American people to turn a blind eye to the illegal immigration problem so they can import more workers.”

The fact of the matter is that AIR just may get their $52 million. Meanwhile groups opposing illegal immigration will continue to flounder because many who complain aren't putting their money where their mouth is. You can bitch all day about illegal immigration, but if you aren't participating in combating it directly then you're all lip service. Are you calling reps? Are you showing up at rallies? Are you at the very least donating to those who are? If not then how do you expect anything to get done?